Lent is Coming

 

Looking at the calendar today, it is just under month until Ash Wednesday on February 17 and the beginning of Lent.  It is time to start thinking about our Lenten journey.  We look to attending to prayer, fasting and almsgiving.  Lent is not just about abstaining from thoughts, words and actions that are less than
Christian.  Lent is not just about praying more.  It is not just about giving money and food to the poor.  It is a time of intentionally engaging in practices that help us to experience Jesus Christ alive in our day to day living.  It has been almost a year of loss due to the Coronavirus.  We have lost celebrating with family and friends’ birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, retirements holidays and more.  Many have lost jobs or have experienced lower wages.  We have missed seeing our children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and coworkers.  We have lost much, but we have not lost Jesus present in our lives.  More than anything, God wants us to know we are his and we are loved.  Maybe this Lent, with the many challenges of uniting our nation and grieving losses, we should consider a daily practice that honors our personal dignity as a beloved child of God.  It is when we best love ourselves that we can be merciful and love others.  Fr. Jim Shappelle, at the beginning of each school year, brought a large mirror to school Mass for his homily.  He told the kids to look in the mirror each morning and say, “Good morning, good looking!”  You may want to start with that practice for god created you and you are very good.

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